Method and apparatus for continuous composite three-dimensional printing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the additive manufacturing of three-dimensional objects are disclosed. Two or more materials are extruded simultaneously as a composite, with at least one material in liquid form and at least one material in a solid continuous strand completely encased within the liquid material. A means of curing the liquid material after extrusion hardens the composite. A part is constructed using a series of extruded composite paths. The strand material within the composite contains specific chemical, mechanical, or electrical characteristics that instill the object with enhanced capabilities not possible with only one material.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A continuous-composite printing apparatus for manufacturing an object, the apparatus comprising:
 a platform; 
 a positioning system; 
 a providing device that provides a fiber strand pre-pregged with polymer; 
 a supply device that provides a supply of polymer; 
 a mount; 
 an extruder connected to the positioning system via the mount, the extruder including:
 a head configured to receive the pre-pregged fiber strand; and 
 a dispensing port located at an outlet end of the head and configured to dispense the pre-pregged fiber strand onto at least one of the platform and the object; 
 
 a heater configured to heat the pre-pregged fiber strand within the extruder; 
 a computer system including a processor operatively coupled to the providing device, the positioning system, and the extruder, the computer system configured to:
 store a location plan for the object, the location plan defining a plurality of paths for the extruder to follow when printing the object, a plurality of locations along the plurality of paths, and corresponding dispensing amounts for the plurality of locations; 
 control, based on the stored location plan, movement of at least one of the positioning system and the platform such that the extruder moves to the plurality of locations along the plurality of paths; 
 control, while the extruder moves to the plurality of locations along the plurality of paths, at least one of the extruder, the positioning system, and the platform to extrude the heated pre-pregged fiber strand through the dispensing port and onto at least one of the platform and the object, to form the object; and 
 control, while the extruder moves to the plurality of locations along the plurality of paths, at least one of the extruder, the positioning system, and the platform to extrude the heated pre-pregged fiber strand at the plurality of locations and in the corresponding dispensing amounts for the plurality of locations identified by the location plan, to form the object; and 
 
 a hardening device that hardens the extruded pre-pregged fiber strand to form the object, 
 wherein the location plan further includes cutting location points for the plurality of paths, and the computer system is further configured to control a cutter to cut the pre-pregged fiber strand at the cutting location points. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a desktop printer. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the positioning system includes at least one of a robotic arm and a gantry. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the providing device includes a feeder motor configured to feed the pre-pregged fiber strand to the head. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the feeder motor feeds the heated pre-pregged fiber strand through the dispensing port and onto at least one of the platform and the object. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the feeder motor is configured to feed the pre-pregged fiber strand from a spool storing the pre-pregged fiber strand. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the supply device provides the supply of polymer to the extruder. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heater is configured to heat the pre-pregged fiber strand to a temperature at which the polymer becomes liquid. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heater is configured to heat the supply of polymer to a temperature at which the polymer becomes liquid. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hardening device includes a light. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hardening device includes a heater. 
     
     
       12. A continuous-composite printing apparatus for manufacturing an object, the apparatus comprising:
 a platform; 
 a positioning system; 
 a providing device that provides a fiber strand pre-pregged with polymer; 
 a supply device that provides a supply of polymer; 
 a mount; 
 an extruder connected to the positioning system via the mount, the extruder including:
 a head configured to receive the pre-pregged fiber strand; and 
 a dispensing port located at an outlet end of the head and configured to dispense the pre-pregged fiber strand onto at least one of the platform and the object; 
 
 a heater configured to heat the pre-pregged fiber strand within the extruder; 
 a computer system including a processor operatively coupled to the providing device, the positioning system, and the extruder, the computer system configured to:
 store a location plan for the object, the location plan defining a plurality of paths for the extruder to follow when printing the object, a plurality of locations along the plurality of paths, and corresponding dispensing amounts for the plurality of locations; 
 control, based on the stored location plan, movement of at least one of the positioning system and the platform such that the extruder moves to the plurality of locations along the plurality of paths; 
 control, while the extruder moves to the plurality of locations along the plurality of paths, at least one of the extruder, the positioning system, and the platform to extrude the heated pre-pregged fiber strand through the dispensing port and onto at least one of the platform and the object, to form the object; and 
 control, while the extruder moves to the plurality of locations along the plurality of paths, at least one of the extruder, the positioning system, and the platform to extrude the heated pre-pregged fiber strand at the plurality of locations and in the corresponding dispensing amounts for the plurality of locations identified by the location plan, to form the object; and 
 a hardening device that hardens the extruded pre-pregged fiber strand to form the object, wherein the hardening device is mounted to the extruder. 
 
 
     
     
       13. A continuous-composite printing apparatus for manufacturing an object, the apparatus comprising:
 a platform; 
 a positioning system; 
 a providing device that provides a fiber strand pre-pregged with polymer; 
 a supply device that provides a supply of polymer; 
 a mount; 
 an extruder connected to the positioning system via the mount, the extruder including:
 a head configured to receive the pre-pregged fiber strand; and 
 a dispensing port located at an outlet end of the head and configured to dispense the pre-pregged fiber strand onto at least one of the platform and the object; 
 
 a heater configured to heat the pre-pregged fiber strand within the extruder; 
 a computer system including a processor operatively coupled to the providing device, the positioning system, and the extruder, the computer system configured to:
 store a location plan for the object, the location plan defining a plurality of paths for the extruder to follow when printing the object, a plurality of locations along the plurality of paths, and corresponding dispensing amounts for the plurality of locations; 
 control, based on the stored location plan, movement of at least one of the positioning system and the platform such that the extruder moves to the plurality of locations along the plurality of paths; 
 control, while the extruder moves to the plurality of locations along the plurality of paths, at least one of the extruder, the positioning system, and the platform to extrude the heated pre-pregged fiber strand through the dispensing port and onto at least one of the platform and the object, to form the object; and 
 control, while the extruder moves to the plurality of locations along the plurality of paths, at least one of the extruder, the positioning system, and the platform to extrude the heated pre-pregged fiber strand at the plurality of locations and in the corresponding dispensing amounts for the plurality of locations identified by the location plan, to form the object; and 
 a hardening device that hardens the extruded pre-pregged fiber strand to form the object, wherein the hardening device aims toward the dispensing port to harden the pre-pregged fiber strand after discharge through the dispensing port. 
 
 
     
     
       14. A continuous-composite printing apparatus for manufacturing an object, the apparatus comprising:
 a platform; 
 a positioning system; 
 a providing device that provides a fiber strand pre-pregged with polymer; 
 a supply device that provides a supply of polymer; 
 a mount; 
 an extruder connected to the positioning system via the mount, the extruder including:
 a head configured to receive the pre-pregged fiber strand; and 
 a dispensing port located at an outlet end of the head and configured to dispense the pre-pregged fiber strand onto at least one of the platform and the object; 
 
 a heater configured to heat the pre-pregged fiber strand within the extruder; 
 a computer system including a processor operatively coupled to the providing device, the positioning system, and the extruder, the computer system configured to:
 store a location plan for the object, the location plan defining a plurality of paths for the extruder to follow when printing the object, a plurality of locations along the plurality of paths, and corresponding dispensing amounts for the plurality of locations; 
 control, based on the stored location plan, movement of at least one of the positioning system and the platform such that the extruder moves to the plurality of locations along the plurality of paths; 
 control, while the extruder moves to the plurality of locations along the plurality of paths, at least one of the extruder, the positioning system, and the platform to extrude the heated pre-pregged fiber strand through the dispensing port and onto at least one of the platform and the object, to form the object; and 
 control, while the extruder moves to the plurality of locations along the plurality of paths, at least one of the extruder, the positioning system, and the platform to extrude the heated pre-pregged fiber strand at the plurality of locations and in the corresponding dispensing amounts for the plurality of locations identified by the location plan, to form the object; and 
 a hardening device that hardens the extruded pre-pregged fiber strand to form the object, wherein the hardening device is located downstream of the dispensing port to harden the pre-pregged fiber strand after discharge through the dispensing port. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hardening device controls a temperature of the dispensed pre-pregged fiber strand to harden the dispensed pre-pregged fiber strand after discharge through the dispensing port. 
     
     
       16. A continuous-composite printing apparatus for manufacturing an object, the apparatus comprising:
 a platform; 
 a positioning system; 
 a providing device that provides a fiber strand pre-pregged with polymer; 
 a supply device that provides a supply of polymer; 
 a mount; 
 an extruder connected to the positioning system via the mount, the extruder including:
 a head configured to receive the pre-pregged fiber strand; and 
 a dispensing port located at an outlet end of the head and configured to dispense the pre-pregged fiber strand onto at least one of the platform and the object; 
 
 a heater configured to heat the pre-pregged fiber strand within the extruder; 
 a computer system including a processor operatively coupled to the providing device, the positioning system, and the extruder, the computer system configured to:
 store a location plan for the object, the location plan defining a plurality of paths for the extruder to follow when printing the object, a plurality of locations along the plurality of paths, and corresponding dispensing amounts for the plurality of locations; 
 control, based on the stored location plan, movement of at least one of the positioning system and the platform such that the extruder moves to the plurality of locations along the plurality of paths; 
 control, while the extruder moves to the plurality of locations along the plurality of paths, at least one of the extruder, the positioning system, and the platform to extrude the heated pre-pregged fiber strand through the dispensing port and onto at least one of the platform and the object, to form the object; and 
 control, while the extruder moves to the plurality of locations along the plurality of paths, at least one of the extruder, the positioning system, and the platform to extrude the heated pre-pregged fiber strand at the plurality of locations and in the corresponding dispensing amounts for the plurality of locations identified by the location plan, to form the object; and 
 a hardening device that hardens the extruded pre-pregged fiber strand to form the object, wherein the extruder includes a cutter configured to cut the pre-pregged fiber strand. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the computer system is further configured to control the cutter to cut the pre-pregged fiber strand upstream of the dispensing port before discharge through the dispensing port. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:
 control, based on the stored location plan, movement of at least one of the positioning system and the platform such that the extruder moves to a first plurality of locations along a first path of the plurality of paths; 
 control, while the extruder moves to the first plurality of locations along the first path, at least one of the extruder, the positioning system, and the platform to extrude the heated pre-pregged fiber strand along the first path, to form the object; 
 control the cutter to cut the pre-pregged fiber strand and stop extrusion after extruding the first path; 
 control, based on the stored location plan, movement of at least one of the positioning system and the platform such that the extruder moves to a second plurality of locations along a second path of the plurality of paths; 
 control, while the extruder moves to the second plurality of locations along the second path, at least one of the extruder, the positioning system, and the platform to resume extrusion of the heated pre-pregged fiber strand along the second path, to form the object; and 
 control the cutter to cut the pre-pregged fiber strand after extruding the second path. 
 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the extruder further includes has a second dispensing port for dispensing the supply of polymer, 
 the location plan further identifies a first plurality of paths for dispensing the pre-pregged fiber strand only and a second plurality of paths for dispensing the supply of polymer only, and 
 the computer system is further configured to control at least one of movement of the positioning system, the platform, and the extruder to dispense the pre-pregged fiber strand along the first plurality of paths and to dispense the supply of polymer through the second dispensing port along the second plurality of paths. 
 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the location plan further includes start points and end points for the plurality of paths, and the computer system is further configured to control at least one of the positioning system, the platform, and the extruder to start dispensing the pre-pregged fiber strand at the start points and to stop dispensing the pre-pregged fiber strand at the end points. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the location plan further includes feed rates at which the providing device feeds the pre-pregged fiber strand during extruding plurality of paths, and the computer system is further configured to control the providing device to feed the pre-pregged fiber strand at the feed rates. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the location plan indicates the corresponding dispensing amounts as extrusion rates. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including a tube connecting the providing device to the head of the extruder, the tube configured to guide the pre-pregged fiber strand from the providing device to the head of the extruder. 
     
     
       24. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including a connection between the supply device and the extruder, the connection configured to guide the polymer from the supply device to the extruder.